All three incoming Cats land in final Rivals150

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

For the first time in his tenure, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins will bring in a class of freshmen who are all ranked in the Rivals150.

Rivals announced its final listing of the top 150 prospects in the nation for the 2021 class on Thursday, and all three Wildcat signees are on it.

Wing Casey Simmons was the highest-rated Cat at No. 119 after jumping 16 spots. Guard Julian Roper was next at No. 136 after rising two places. And do-everything wing Brooks Barnhizer, who may play guard at Northwestern, stayed at No. 142.

Collins has never brought in an entire class of ranked players before, and he's never had as many as three recruits who were ranked, either. This class may not be top-heavy -- Collins has signed a few Top 100 prospects in his time, including his two highest, Miller Kopp at 66 at Pete Nance at 67. But from top-to-bottom, you could argue that this is his strongest class.

Northwestern's incoming group is ranked 42nd in the nation by Rivals, but only ninth in the Big Ten. For comparison's sake, Collins' highest-ranked group -- the 2018 class that featured Kopp, Nance, Ryan Greer and Ryan Young -- came in at 24th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten.

Here's a look at each of the incoming Cats.

Simmons, a rangy 6-foot-6 wing, is the player with the biggest upside. A bouncy, athletic player who excels in the open floor, Simmons has the ability to get to the rim and create his own shot, though he needs to gain weight and add strength to his long, sinewy frame.

Simmons comes from Milton (Mass.) Academy in the prestigious New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) that has produced a number of Cats before him, including Boo Buie, Anthony Gaines, Aaron Falzon and Greer. He scored 22 points per game as a junior before COVID-19 wiped out his senior year at Milton.

Simmons was a late bloomer who flew under the radar throughout the recruiting process. He chose Northwestern over finalists Texas, Miami, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Princeton and Yale.

Roper is a 6-foot-3 combo guard and a first-team Michigan all-state pick after averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals per game. He shot 60% from the field and 40% from behind the arc for powerhouse Orchard Lake St. Mary's.

A versatile combo guard, Roper may be the most college-ready member of the group. He can play on or off the ball and can both score and defend. He brings good size and length and is a plus-athlete who flourishes in the open floor and has the strength to get to the basket against bigger bodies, which should serve him well in the Big Ten.

Roper chose Northwestern over co-finalist Wisconsin, and also held offers from Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State, Alabama, DePaul and Missouri, among others.

Barnhizer, an Indiana Mr. Basketball finalist and the all-time leading scorer at Lafayette (Ind.) Jefferson, is the most intriguing player in the class. He is a versatile 6-foot-6 wing who played point guard in high school for his father and averaged a whopping 33 points per game, to go along with 11.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.7 blocks.

Barnhizer doesn't know where he will play for Collins, who has talked to him about manning the lead guard spot on occasion. As a long player who can dribble, drive and shoot better than 40% from beyond the arc, he's one of those "positionless" players that Collins favors.

An underrecruited prospect, Barnhizer chose Northwestern over finalists Butler, Western Kentucky and Yale, and also had an offer from Xavier.